Potters Bar Town match report
The most applause of this disappointing afternoon came before the game, when the late Lawrence Cooley (feels wrong typing that phrase) was remembered immediately before kick-off. When this match against Potters Bar Town began, there was, for the most part, little opportunity for K's supporters to applaud after a sluggish and careless performance that saw the Scholars go top of the division without having to go up too many gears.
Potters Bar began the game strongly and could have opened the scoring as early as the eleventh minute when some poor passing allowed them to have two free shots in quick succession at debut-making goalkeeper Sam Jackson, but the new K's man was equal to the task as he parried away shots from Isaac Galliford and Quentin Monville before the cavalry arrived and K's were able to clear.
The game meandered along until the 28th minute when Potters Bar took the lead when full back Finlay Titchmarsh was allowed the freedom of the right side of the pitch, dashed inside and slid the ball past the onrushing Sam Jackson from an acute angle. A fine piece of football from the Potters Bar man, but defensively questions needed to be asked.
That Kingstonian went in level at the break was a major surprise as they offered very little going forward and gave very little assistance to the hard-working Ben Ward-Cochrane, who ploughed a lone furrow against a solid Scholars back line. K's did look threatening in the last five minutes of the half when a Tyrese Owen run and shot went close before Ward-Cochrane was felled in the 42nd minute when it looked as if he might be clear on goal, but the referee thought not and showed a yellow card to Scholars' substitute Adam Martin.
It was in the second minute of added time that K's equalised, and the architect was Ward-Cochrane himself, who put in a fine cross from the right that was met on the volley by Tyrese Owen. The ball found itself in the back of the net before Scholars goalkeeper Ted Collins could even think about trying to save.
Things weren't much better in the second half as K's very rarely troubled the Potters Bar defence - Dwight Pascal carved out the best K's chance early in the half after a 1-2 with Kieron Cadogan on the edge of the area offered him the opportunity to shoot, but goalkeeper Collins was quick off his line to make a good save.
Potters Bar took the lead again in the 55th minute and it was another defensively disastrous goal as far as K's were concerned - Kasim Aidoo was afforded plenty of space to advance into the penalty area, where he squared the ball to Dejon Noel-Williams, more than one defender had ample opportunity to clear safely, but the Scholars' forward prodded the ball home.
Finally, the long ball allowed Potters Bar to score on the break in the 75th minute when Quentin Monville was left completely alone in acres of room as he burst through, walked the ball around Sam Jackson and rolled it into the net.
There was still time for Tobi Ogundega to receive a straight red card for a reckless foul on Lewis Manor in the second minute of added time. There is definitely work to do before the upcoming FA Trophy tie at home to Wingate and Finchley (a Saturday home game!).
Kingstonian: Sam Jackson, Dwight Pascal, Declan Skura, Jack Strange, Tobi Ogundega, Tyrese Owen, Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Kenny Beaney, Ben Ward-Cochrane, Kieron Cadogan, Louis Collins.
Subs: Michael Abnett, Thomas Gogo (for Kieron Cadogan, 62m), Fumnaya Shomotun (for Louis Collins, 62m), Kwesi Ntim, Gabriel Ajuchi (for Sean Bonnett-Johnson, 76m).
Potters Bar Town: Ted Collins, Finlay Titchmarsh, Frazer Shaw, Mo Kamar, Calvin Dickson, Jacques Kpohomouh, Quentin Monville, Tyler Christian-Law, Dejon Noel-Williams, Isaac Galliford, Kasim Aidoo.
Subs: Ike Olaiya, Rudy Allen (for Tyler Christian-Law, 52m), Lewis Manor (for Dejon Noel-Williams, 66m), Adam Martin (for Calvin Dickson, 42m), Sam McRitchie.
Red card: Tobi Ogundega (90m+2, straight red card, foul)
Goal scorers: Finlay Titchmarsh (28m, 0-1), Tyrese Owen (45+2m, 1-1), Dejon Noel-Williams (55m, 1-2), Quentin Monville (75m, 1-3)
Attendance: 279
